


Put Your Little Hand In Mine

by fleurdeliser



Series: NASAverse [2]
Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-15
Updated: 2010-04-15
Packaged: 2017-10-18 09:31:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/187465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurdeliser/pseuds/fleurdeliser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follows five years after <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/187462">The Light From Our Bodies Precedes Us</a>. In which important steps are taken and there are snuggles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Put Your Little Hand In Mine

**Author's Note:**

> For my dear [](http://philosiraptors.livejournal.com/profile)[**philosiraptors**](http://philosiraptors.livejournal.com/) on the occasion of her day of birth. Some of you have seen parts of this elsewhere. Thank you to [](http://strobelighted.livejournal.com/profile)[**strobelighted**](http://strobelighted.livejournal.com/) for looking over this for me!

For years, Frank uses the word roommate to refer to Gerard, even to their closest friends.

One day, Bob drags Frank up to his office and they're chatting and Bob casually mentions Frank and Gerard in the same sentence he talks about Mikey and Alicia, Pete and Ashlee, and Ray and Christa. Like they're together. A real couple like the others. Frank nearly hyperventilates. He has no idea what to do. Bob nudges his coffee closer to him and Frank takes a big gulp.

"D-does everyone?" Frank asks. Bob shakes his head.

"Just your friends."

"How long?" Frank runs an hand through his hair and pushes up his glasses.

"A while," Bob answers. Frank finishes his coffee and then goes back to his own office. When Gerard pops his head in at 5:30 and asks if he's ready to go home, Frank just nods and absently gathers his things and follows Gerard out the building to their car. Frank is quiet on the drive home, which isn't really unusual because Gerard tends to chatter the whole way.

They get home and take Nikola for a walk and eat dinner and Gerard puts on a record while they sit on the couch, Gerard drawing with a sketchbook propped on his knee and Frank reading. It's a fairly typical evening, all told, but as they're getting into bed and pulling the covers up, Gerard slips his arms around Frank's waist and murmurs, "You were pretty quiet this evening. Is everything all right?"

Frank settles back against Gerard's chest, "Yes, I think so."

"Okay," Gerard says.

A few weeks later, they're having dinner at Ray and Christa's house with Mikey and Alicia and Bob. Everyone, all the people Frank trusts most, is standing in parlor drinking cocktails and laughing and talking and Frank quietly slips his hand into Gerard's like he's seen the others do 1000 times with their partners. Gerard stutters to a stop mid-sentence and looks over at Frank. Frank can feel everyone's eyes on him, but he takes a deep breath and just squeezes Gerard's hand tightly. Gerard's face is totally blank for about five seconds, and then this smile that Frank is pretty sure is more blinding than all the stars in the Milky Way spreads across his face.

In that moment, Frank decides that from then on, at least to the people most important to him, Gerard won't be anything less than he is.

That decision sees its first test on the following Saturday afternoon when Frank is standing in front of the sink, taking his turn at scrubbing dishes. Gerard is sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and doodling on Frank's legal pad where he was attempting to work on an equation earlier. The phone on the wall starts ringing and Frank picks it up right away and tucks it between his ear and shoulder and says, "Hi Ma." It's their weekly call and mostly she just catches him up on what's been going on in Jersey and the latest family news which is that his cousin's wife is pregnant again.

"I suppose I'll never be telling your Aunt that your wife is about to have a baby, will I?" she asks after Frank says to pass along his congratulations. Frank sits frozen in place for a minute.

"No, Ma," he says finally.

"How's your roommate?" she asks after a beat. Frank's stomach churns, just like it does every time she asks about Gerard. He remembers Gerard's smile from the other night and takes a deep breath.

"Gerard's not my roommate, Ma," Frank says quietly.

"I know," she says and asks again, "So how is he doing?"

"He's good. Great. He's really great, Ma," Frank answers, meaning much more than Gerard's general state of being. They chat for a few more minutes and Frank hangs up the phone and detangles himself from cord and then goes back to scrubbing the pot in the sink. Thoughts are rushing around his head so loudly, he doesn't hear Gerard get up from the table, but he must have because there are Gerard's arms around his waist and Gerard's face buried in his neck.

Friday morning starts like any other morning. They don't usually talk in the morning, just go about their business, so Gerard doesn't really notice anything is off until they get to the car. Usually Frank has his legal pad in his lap going over equations and making shaky notations. Friday morning, Frank leans his head against the seat and keeps his eyes closed.

At a stop sign, Gerard reaches over and squeezes Frank's hand. "Did you not sleep well?"

Frank squeezes back and lifts his head to look at Gerard, "I think I may be getting sick again." Gerard frowns.

"I can take you back home. You shouldn't work if you're sick."

"I'll be fine. It could be nothing. I'll take a couple of aspirin when we get there and be fine. I have a lot to do today," Frank insists.

Gerard sighs. They have this discussion every time Frank gets sick. It's just as frustrating every time.

Gerard pulls into the NASA lot, parks, and turns off the engine. "I wish..." Gerard sighs again and runs a hand through his hair. He doesn't really even know what he wishes. Many things. That Frank wouldn't push himself so hard sometimes, that he'd let Gerard take care of him more, that they could take a fucking vacation together like a normal couple.

Frank reaches over and touches Gerard's shoulder. As soon as Gerard registers Frank's hand, it's gone. But coming from Frank while they're sitting in the NASA parking lot, it may as well be a kiss. Gerard takes a deep breath and meets Frank's eyes.

"If I start feeling really bad, I'll go home. I promise," Frank says quietly. Gerard nods and hands the keys over to Frank, hoping he doesn't have to use them. He'll get a ride from Mikey if that happens.

When Frank doesn't show up at lunch, Gerard tries not to worry. Frank skips coming down to the cafeteria to eat lunch with the rest of them more often than not. Gerard eats his food without really tasting anything and as soon as he's done and everyone starts heading back to their offices, Gerard goes straight by his own and knocks on Frank's door and opens it, "Dr. Iero?"

Frank jumps, lifting his head up from where he was obviously hunched over a pad of graphing paper and his slide rule. Gerard can't help but smile a little. He slips in and shuts the door.

"You missed lunch."

"Oh, did I? I meant to come down today," Frank says. He doesn't say _I didn't want you to worry_ , but Gerard knows that's what he means.

"So the aspirin helped?"

Frank nods.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you in a few hours, then," Gerard says and moves to leave.

"Thank you," Frank murmurs.

"Always," Gerard answers and goes back to his office.

Gerard wakes up Saturday morning to the bed shaking and Frank coughing. Gerard sits up and looks over to see Frank sitting on the side of the bed, head in his hands. Gerard closes his eyes and releases all the breath in his lungs in a big gust.

"Sorry," Frank chokes out around a cough. Gerard scoots over and swings his legs over the side of the bed, wrapping an arm around Frank. Nikola is sitting at Frank's feet, whining up at him. Frank reaches out and smoothes a hand over his head.

"Can I make you some tea?"

Frank takes a shaky breath, "That would be nice, thank you." Gerard kisses Frank's temple and reluctantly gets up to go set the kettle on and make himself some coffee. He catches sight of a clock and tries not to groan out loud to see that he's up at 6:30 am on a Saturday. By the time Gerard has Frank's tea ready, Frank has come out to the living room and is sitting on the sofa with his legs curled under him, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, and Nikola at his side.

"Frankie, why aren't you in bed?" Gerard places the tea carefully in Frank's hands and sits down on the coffee table in front of him.

"Every time I lie down, I cough. I can't sleep until I get this goddamn cough under control," Frank scowls and takes a sip of tea.

Gerard nods. He wants to sit down next to Frank and hold him, but Nikola is taking up his spot and he looks so worried that Gerard doesn't have the heart to shoo him away. Instead, he goes out to get some coffee and sits down at the other end of the couch. He thinks about drawing or making breakfast, but he can't concentrate and neither of them like to eat right after waking up. Gerard pulls his legs up to his chest and rests his cheek on his knee and looks over at Frank. He's scratching away on his pad of paper and it's almost like any other Saturday morning, except Frank snuffles a bit more and coughs every once in a while. Apparently Gerard falls asleep like that, because the next time he opens his eyes, Frank is curled up with his eyes closed, shivering hard. Nikola has disappeared somewhere and the blanket has slipped down.

"Frankie," Gerard says. Frank doesn't stir. Gerard frowns and scoots down the couch. He gently shakes Frank's shoulder and says again, "Frankie."

Frank's eyes pop open and he starts shivering even harder. Gerard stands and pulls Frank up with him, "C'mon, let's get you to bed." Frank just nods and stumbles down the hall, leaning on Gerard. Gerard gets Frank tucked under the covers and is about to crawl in himself when Frank sits up again.

"Frankie, what? You need to sleep."

"My mother. She'll be calling soon. I can't miss it." Frank's eyes are a little wild and unfocused.

"Frankie, just rest. Please. I'll take your mother's call. We'll talk about how stubborn you are," Gerard promises. Frank lies back down somewhat reluctantly. Gerard doesn't want to leave him, but he promised Frank he'd talk to his mother and she would worry if nobody answered as Frank never misses a call without warning. He snaps his fingers and pats the bed and Nikola jumps up and curls up next to Frank. Gerard squeezes one of Frank's legs and pats Nikola on the side before going out to the kitchen.

He settles at the table with a fresh cup of coffee and his sketchbook and waits for the phone to ring. He's spoken to Linda on the phone before, but never quite like this. Never with her knowing, really knowing, that Gerard is much more than a roommate to Frank. His stomach flips a little bit. He still can't quite believe Frank did that.

Gerard is so lost in his thoughts that the ringing of the phone startles him. He rolls his eyes at himself and jumps up and grabs the phone off the wall.

"Hi Mrs. Iero, it's Gerard." Gerard stretches the cord across the kitchen and sits back down at the table.

"Hello Gerard," Linda answers, her voice warm. "I don't get to speak with you very often. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Gerard sighs, "Frank is sick again."

"I had hoped he would grow out of that." Mrs. Iero sighs. "Clearly you managed to get him to go to bed since you're talking to me and not him."

"Yes. He seemed a little more willing to go this time. I think mostly because he was half asleep already."

"He is so stubborn sometimes." Fond exasperation colors Linda's voice.

Gerard can't help but chuckle. "Yes he is. I told him we'd talk about how stubborn he is."

"I'm glad he has you to keep him from working himself into the ground," Linda says.

"I try my best."

"I can tell." Gerard can hear a smile in Linda's voice.

"Do you have any suggestions for things I can do to help him feel better?" Gerard asks.

"He always liked it when I read to him," Linda answers. "I suppose I should let you get back to the job at hand. I know how trying it can be. Give him my love," she pauses. "And Gerard? Thank you for taking care of him."

"Always," Gerard says and the line goes dead.

He thinks about staying here and sketching, but really, he wants to be back in bed with Frank, sick or no. He puts the phone back on the receiver, grabs a novel from their bookshelf in case Frank wants to be read to, and slips quietly into their bedroom. Frank is tossing and turning restlessly. Nikola seems to've grown tired of the moving and is wuffling on his own bed in the corner of the room. Gerard sets the book on his nightstand and lifts up the covers and slips beneath them. Frank stirs and rolls toward him and Gerard wraps his arms around Frank and holds tight.

"How's Ma?"

"She's good. We talked about how stubborn you are. And how much we love you," Gerard answers, rubbing a hand through Frank's hair. Frank rubs his face on Gerard's chest and within a few minutes, they're both drifting off.


End file.
